


small comforts

by Ingu



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chronic Pain, Domestic Fluff, Domesticity, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:05:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14041881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ingu/pseuds/Ingu
Summary: All it took was an emoji with a scrunched-up face to tell Ignis what he needed to know that morning. It was another bad day for Noct.





	small comforts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CoffeeBean77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeBean77/gifts).



> Happy white day to my exchange partner @coffeebean77! For so long I thought I'd find time to write this, and in the end we made it right at the end of the posting period. I can't seem to write anything without slipping in some angst. But I hope you enjoy this gift! ^_^

All it took was an emoji with a scrunched-up face to tell Ignis what he needed to know that morning. It was another bad day for Noct.

There was a routine on days like this, and Ignis started by making a few phone calls, moving and cancelling the prince’s very few appointments for the day. For a young royal on the cusp of adulthood, Noct’s schedule was not his to determine. His presence was expected at two different events even on a Saturday. But sometimes, exceptions must be made.

Ignis hurried through his morning, focusing on making himself presentable and getting to Noct’s side. Thankfully, the traffic was light early on a Saturday morning, and so he made it in record time, and rode the elevator up to the floor of Noct’s apartment. It was dark and silent inside when he arrived, and despite the clatter Ignis made entering there was no familiar greeting yelled to him from within. Ignis walked into the living room only to find the curtains shut and the prince wrapped up like a burrito on his couch. A mop of dark hair was the only thing that he could see, and Ignis bit his lip to fight an inappropriate smile at the cuteness of it.

“How are you feeling?” Ignis said. He placed his bag on the kitchen counter before heading toward the couch. Crouching down, he studied Noct, wary of jostling the prince by accident and aggravating his hurt.

Noct, a burrito, mumbled something indecipherable, face turned away toward the back of the couch. His eyes were scrunched shut against the pain, and Ignis frowned in worry. Noct’s old injury acted up sometimes, yet most of the time, Ignis found Noct sprawled in bed playing King’s Knight or watching videos. It was rarely as bad as this.

Reaching out, Ignis carefully brushed back some of Noct’s hair. Noct’s eyes opened tiredly.

“Have you tried anything yet?” Ignis said quietly.

“Just some painkillers,” Noct mumbled again, this time more clearly.

Which weren’t working very well, judging by the state Noct was in. “Heat pack?”

“You get it.”

That much was a given. Ignis straightened and headed into Noct’s bedroom. Crossing the doorway, he quietly sighed at the litter that was already beginning to accumulate after his last cleaning. No matter how many times he told Noct not to eat in bed, he always came back to find chip packets and candy wrappers scattered around the room. He pulled open one of the drawers in the bedside table and took out the heavy wheat bags sitting inside. Thinking for a second, Ignis also pulled out the other containers of balms and rubs. He had a feeling they might be needing it today.

Making his way toward the kitchen, Ignis unloaded his supplies on the counter and opened the microwave, placing the wheat packs inside before he set the timer. As the appliance buzzed to life, Ignis turned back toward the unmoving shape on the couch.

“Have you had anything to eat today?”

“No.”

Ignis took the response as a cue to open the fridge, which stood almost empty aside from a few cans of soft drink, a carton of eggs, and some leftover rice and takeaway. Grocery day would have been today or tomorrow, and Noct was in no state to go shopping. Ignis considered his options.

“Want some eggs? Or porridge?”

Noct thought for a long moment. “No eggs.”

Ignis pulled out the bowl of leftover rice and takeaway. He had no idea how long Noct has been suffering like this, if it only started this morning or sometime during the night. Judging from the emoji he received at half past six, Ignis had a feeling it had already been several hours.

The microwave dinged, and Ignis went to remove the heated packs from within. Wrapping a towel around the hot shapes, he carried them toward Noct and knelt beside him. Noct was already shifting to lie on belly, his movements stiff with pain. The blanket had become even more tangled around him, and Ignis gently tugged it free, careful not to jostle Noct any more than he needed to.

Noct, cheek pressed against the couch, watched Ignis as he leaned forward.

Ignis pulled Noct’s t-shirt down so the fabric lay smooth across his back, and carefully deposited the packs along the line of Noct’s scar, where the damaged nerves and muscles still hurt him.

“Is that okay?” Ignis said.

Noct hummed his approval, and Ignis stepped away to the soft murmur of: “Thanks Iggy.”

“Try and get some rest,” Ignis said, returning to his work in the kitchen. On days like this he hated feeling helpless, only able to watch as his friend suffered, and cooking was one way for him to focus his restless energies. Taking care of Noct was the only thing he could do.

Noct’s pantry was sparse. Ignis didn’t have much to work with, and if he wanted something besides Ebony in his system it meant he would have to mix his limited ingredients together. Over the next hour, Ignis focused on putting a meal – a savoury congee – together. He set the rice to boil in a pot, adding a pinch of salt, stock powder, and baking soda, and left it to simmer. Then, he began to pick apart the takeaway beef stir-fry, where, true to form for Noct, not a single unsightly vegetable remained. He picked out the pieces of meat and cut them into even smaller pieces, resting them on paper towels to drain away the sauce. Once the congee had thickened enough, Ignis added the cooked meat to the pot, and stirred it into the dish. The entire time, Noct stayed silent, only occasionally opening his eyes to watch Ignis move about the kitchen.

Before long, breakfast was ready, and Ignis scooped the congee into two separate bowls, sticking spoons into them before he picked them up and carried them toward Noct.

“How do you feel?” Ignis said as he approached, sitting down beside the couch. “Is it working?”

“A little,” Noct said as he eyed the bowl. He made no effort to move from the couch, and Ignis studied him, uncertain how they were going to go about this.

“Can you eat?” Ignis said.

In response, Noct reached out one arm and took his bowl from Ignis. He set it down on the floor and studied it for a moment. When he was satisfied that there were no vegetables to be seen, he picked up the spoon and began to scoop the food into his mouth, all without moving the rest of his body.

Ignis watched, aghast, wondering when exactly Noct had developed this level of skill. “Are you alright eating like that?”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Noct mumbled, eyes clouded. “Unless you want to feed me.”

Noct’s tone was distant, his words doubtlessly intended as a dismissive joke, but Ignis reached out and took the spoon from Noct’s hand. Noct’s eyes immediately widened as Ignis scooped a spoonful of congee, and held it up to his lips.

Instinctively, Noct opened his mouth, and Ignis maneuvered the spoon inside to feed him.

The moment the Prince processed what just happened, his cheeks flushed red, and he grabbed the spoon from Ignis’ hand. “I didn’t actually mean it!”

“I’m happy to feed you if that’s what you require, Noctis,” Ignis said. He was only half joking, but he did a poor job of hiding his amusement, fighting and losing against the urge to smirk.

“I can feed myself,” Noct grumbled, and from that point forward, refused to make any more eye contact as he shovelled his food into his mouth. His cheeks, however, stayed a curious shade of pink.

Ignis made no more comments and focused on eating his share of the meal. Soon, both their bowls were empty, and Ignis took them back to the kitchen, quickly washing them in the sink and setting them to dry. Then, he turned his attention back to Noct, whose expression had become tense once more.

The heated compression packs were not working. Ignis pressed his lips together, worried. He could see how exhausted Noct was, the Prince probably got very little sleep last night, and the pain was not letting him sleep even now.

“How are the packs working? Do you need me to reheat them?” Ignis said softly, moving closer.

His eyes closed, Noct seemed to be thinking about it, and the silence stretched longer and longer.

“Do you want to try the balm?”

This time, the answer was almost immediate. Noct opened his eyes. “Yeah.”

Ignis set about preparing, washing his hands and bringing the containers from the counter where he had left them. Settling beside Noct, he pulled back the blanket and removed the heated compression packs, leaving them on the table. Then, he reached for the bottom of Noct’s shirt and gingerly lifted it. This time, Noct responded, shifting to rest his weight on one arm so Ignis could pull the shirt all the way up. His back was completely exposed, and along the planes of his naked skin sat the angry scar that stretched diagonally across his spine. Ignis’ lips pressed together as he remembered the incident that caused it, and how close he had come to losing Noct that day.

This was nothing they hadn’t done before. Noct had a special analgesic balm that was meant to soothe the pain caused by his old injury. They rarely had to use it now, so many years later. But for a time, Ignis had helped Noct apply it almost every single night.

Reaching for the container, Ignis unscrewed the lid and dipped his fingers into the smooth, buttery substance. Then, he reached forward and gently smeared the the balm along and around the ridges of Noct’s scar, carefully rubbing it into the skin and massaging the worn muscles beneath it. Noct tensed, and then slowly relaxed under him as they went through the old ritual.

Ignis took his time, to make sure that he had applied as much of the balm as thoroughly as he needed to. Noct’s eyes were blank when he had finished, and Ignis could tell that he was still in pain. With luck, the balm would do the trick and help him feel better. Wiping his fingers clean with tissues, Ignis reclosed the lid.

“Do you want the heat pack as well?” Ignis said as he helped Noct pull his shirt back down again. Noct shook his head.

“Alright then, try and get some sleep,” Ignis said once Noct was settled again. He tucked the blanket back around him, and resisted the urge to send him to sleep with a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll run out and fetch some groceries so you don’t starve once you feel better.”

Noct groaned quietly, Ignis had a habit of purchasing unwanted vegetables, but this time, he didn’t actually complain. Ignis would be more amused if it wasn’t proof of just how miserable Noct was feeling.

Despite Noct’s refusal, Ignis reheated the compression packs and left them on the table beside Noct anyway, along with a glass of water and some more painkillers if he wanted them. Then, he left Noct to sleep, hoping to make a short trip of the grocery run. Knowing Noct’s disinclination toward cooking, they only needed enough to get them through the weekend. Later, Noct could buy more food himself, or ask Ignis to do it, if it came to that.

Mercifully, there was a proper grocery store just a few blocks away from Noct’s apartment, and one Ignis was well-familiar with after too many similar grocery runs. Once he arrived, Ignis quickly loaded up on food, ingredients, as well as Ebony for himself, and tossed some chocolate into his basket in the hope of cheering Noctis up.

Within an hour, Ignis was riding the elevator back up to Noctis’ apartment. When he opened the front door again, it was to the same dark and silence that he had left behind. In the living room, Noct was still sprawled across the couch, though the compression packs had now found their way onto his back again. Ignis was greeted with tired blue eyes as he walked in with bags of groceries.

“Did I wake you?” Ignis said.

“No,” Noct said. “Can’t sleep.”

Ignis frowned at the admission, and tried to come up with another solution as he went about putting away his purchases. Between the heated compression packs and the analgesic balm they had already gone through their usual remedies.

“Do you want to try-”

“No, not yet.”

They had special prescription painkillers stashed away for the worst days, but Noct hated them, and never took them unless the agony was truly beyond what he could manage. Ignis didn’t understand it. If something would help him to function when he needed to he would never say no. But Noct seemed to hate that particular kind of dependence, perhaps it reminded him too much of his father’s frail health, and the similar destiny that waited for him in the future.

Once everything was put away, Ignis returned to Noct, watching the Prince carefully as he approached. He hated seeing Noct like this, hated knowing the cause, hated that Noct had to suffer like this even now, years later, for something that should never have happened.

“Is there anything I can do?” Ignis said quietly.

Noct opened his eyes, and studied Ignis. Just as Ignis began to feel uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Noct reached out and wrapped his hand around Ignis’ wrist. With one insistent tug, Ignis was pulled downward, and Noct was moving around him.

The next thing Ignis knew, he was stretched out on the couch and Noct was tucked at his side. The prince had one arm slung across his chest and was clinging in a way he hadn’t done since they were young children sharing the same bed each night. Noct’s head rested against Ignis’ shoulder, his fluffy hair and the soft huff of his breaths tickling Ignis’ skin. Their legs were already being tangled together.

Surprise was quickly replaced by resignation. Ignis settled on the couch, rapidly accepting his new fate as a wave of affection washed over him. He couldn’t hold back a smile as he studied the top of Noct’s head. The Prince was a warm and solid shape against him, with the muscle and strength of a young man. Neither of them were small children anymore.

“You could have just asked, you know,” Ignis murmured with a soft chuckle. Noct just grumbled something unintelligible against Ignis’ skin.

This was nice, too nice, in away that Ignis didn’t dare to think too hard about. He had missed this, this closeness and connection to his prince, something he was almost convinced he had lost when Prompto emerged in Noct’s life and rapidly took over the title of best friend. In a matter of months Ignis had become just a mother hen and an annoyance, nursing a fear and jealousy he could never openly admit.

Yet at times like this... at times like this, when Noct depended on him so easily...  Ignis hoped.

His heart hammering just a little too hard, Ignis lifted his arm and gently stroked Noct’s hair. It was a soothing gesture. Ignis hoped to distract him from his pain, and Noct leaned into the touch with a hum.

“Is this better?” Ignis said.

“We’ll have to see,” Noct mumbled, his eyes closed.

“Perhaps we should get you one of those body pillows,” Ignis mused. The ones with cartoon characters on them.

“Perhaps you should shut up,” Noct said.

Ignis laughed silently, earning him a grumble from the young man tucked against him.

“Well, I’ll always be here if you need me,” Ignis said softly. Too late, he realised that he had perhaps allowed too much sincerity to slip into his voice.

“I expect no less,” Noct said quietly. “Now shut up for real, I’m trying to sleep.”

Ignis smiled. “Then I’ll be quiet. Go to sleep, Noct.”

A comfortable silence settled between them, warmed by trust, affection, and perhaps something more. Ignis didn’t stop the soft motions, willing for it to draw the pain away from Noct somehow. Slowly, Noct’s breathing evened out, and his brow eased.

Ignis relaxed against the couch, and stared up at the ceiling.

This moment, right now, with Noct pressed against his side, warm and solid and real, couldn’t last forever. He would need to prepare lunch eventually. Noct would need to eat and Ignis still had work to do, especially now that Noct was incapacitated for the weekend and won’t be able to tend to his duties. He had reports to summarise and meetings to reorganise, and Noct himself had exams in a few weeks’ time which he had to study for. Even if he did feel better come next morning Ignis wouldn’t let him do anything but stay home and rest. Once Noct recovered, things  would go back to the way it always was.

This couldn’t continue forever. But Ignis found himself wishing that it would. He drank in this moment, committing to memory the weight of Noct’s arm around him, the warmth of his skin, the texture of his hair, the sight and scent and sensations of having Noct here, closer than he could ever be allowed to dream.

He could spend eternity, just like this.

So Ignis stayed, counting each breath until Noct awakened.


End file.
